On May 26, Consorcio Pacífico ED, a joint venture of DB Engineering & Consulting, part of DB E.C.O. Group, and Egis, signed a contract to develop pre-feasibility studies and designs for the Pacific Rail Corridor in Colombia. The project aims to reactivate the currently abandoned corridor, which was previously used for freight transport.
The Pacific Rail Corridor is projected as a mixed-traffic corridor that will be key to improving the efficiency and competitiveness of freight transport in Colombia while providing new mobility alternatives for people.
Colombia has a 3,500-kilometer rail network, but much of it is inactive. The Intermodal Master Plan aims to efficiently connect all regions with various modes of transport, including rail. The Railway Master Plan focuses solely on reactivating and consolidating rail operations, with the Pacific Rail Corridor being one of the three prioritized corridors identified in both plans.
Connecting the port of Buenaventura with the central and Atlantic rail networks
The corridor will be approximately 850 km in length. It will connect the Pacific port of Buenaventura with the central rail corridor, which crosses the center of the country through seven departments and then connects with the Atlantic rail network in the north.
Currently, the port of Buenaventura is the starting point of the original corridor to La Felisa in the department of Caldas, 100 km south of Medellín. Buenaventura is a strategic location for domestic and international logistics. It is directly connected with 360 ports and indirectly with 920 around the world, and it accommodates more than 40% of Colombia’s foreign trade.
Consortium of two international companies
The combination of Egis and DB Engineering & Consulting, two leading global consulting, engineering, and operating companies with extensive experience in the railway infrastructure sector in Colombia and Latin America, makes this consortium an ideal team to deliver top-quality results for Colombia with this important project.
Egis will deliver technical studies for several components as geotechnics, structures (Bridges and tunnels), geometric alignment, hydraulics, environmental impact, social and gender equality, land management, BOQ, budget and others, everything according with BIM methodology. As leader of the JV Egis will have the Project Manager and local Coordinator.
With this new projects Egis in Colombia achieve experience in Urban Metro, Tramways, Tram-Trains, Cable Car and Freight rail lines positioning the company as leader in transportation sector for the country.
The companies forming this consortium have a common goal: to contribute to the future of sustainable mobility in Colombia by taking an active part in projects like this, a game-changer for freight and passenger transport in the country.